The Good Doctor ‘I Am A Surgeon’ Meme Explained
A brief clip from the ABC series The Good Doctor has taken the internet by storm by providing its new trending meme. Leading actor Freddie Highmore, who portrays a fictional surgeon with autism named Dr. Shaun Murphy, brought an emotional force to this performance that is circulating across social media. The clip features Highmore’s character stating several times to his supervisor Dr. Han that he is, in fact, a surgeon. The outburst delivered by Highmore has become the latest joke of the internet for how its delivery appears without context, and has increased criticism from those who feel the show inadequately handles its portrayal of autism.
Several versions of the clip feature SpongeBob-inspired edits that poke fun at Highmore’s intensity in the scene, especially alongside Dr. Han’s relative lack of emotion in his reaction.
The joke essentially makes fun of the repetitive use of the “I am a surgeon” line, as Highmore’s extreme commitment to the scene is found to be humorous by some when taken out of context. The internet has also combined this clip with several others from The Good Doctor that essentially highlight Dr. Shaun Murphy’s questionable practices and antics. Through this lens, The Good Doctor can seem ridiculous and even reductive.
